| Imagine the public outcry if 27 million Americans | | | | protection in the form of the consumer-directed credit |
| discovered that their most private medical and financial | | | | freeze authority. Why? It's all about business-as-usual |
| health records had been stolen! No way, impossible. | | | | where the credit bureaus only make money when |
| Yet, a single laptop computer containing all of these | | | | they're analyzing or selling a credit history record to a |
| veterans and active-duty servicemen and women | | | | firm considering offering you a credit card. Financial |
| actually "went missing".The internet, PCs and laptops, | | | | institutions create a business model that's all about |
| cell phones and blackberries, online and offline data | | | | issuing more-and-more credit cards, and then earning |
| storage, and a raft of information technologies are | | | | transaction fees and interest income. Meaning what? |
| leaving you vulnerable to identity theft and credit card | | | | Neither of these groups has an "economic incentive" to |
| fraud. Bad guys know about the credit bureaus, the | | | | reduce credit card fraud, even where they're "holding |
| banks and other institutions, and even the state | | | | the bag" for liability payments of nearly $50 billion in |
| governments which actively "sell" the data records to | | | | 2006.The US Congress in summer 2006 is considering |
| the direct marketing industry. Where's your "privacy" in | | | | stripping-down State "credit freeze" laws, making them |
| this unregulated market? You guessed it. It's gone | | | | junior to Federal protections which, incredibly, offer a |
| once a bent individual turns his or her attention to your | | | | credit freeze-like protection only for those consumers |
| file.Result? Several million Americans each year | | | | who can produce a police report verifying that they're |
| eventually discover that they've become victims of | | | | victims of identity theft and credit fraud. In other words |
| identity theft, to the tune of up to $20 billion or more in | | | | and in a testament to the upper limits in legislative |
| fraudulent purchases. The bad guys easily get away, | | | | absurdity, you can't preemptively obtain identity theft |
| but you're left holding the bag. Even though you didn't | | | | protections unless you can prove that you've been |
| make the purchases, and even though you're not | | | | burgled.Credit History Repair - Your Direct Liabilities |
| legally responsible to reimburse the firms who sold | | | | And Expected Costs. You'll be lucky to get out of the |
| gear to the fraudsters...guess what? You get a bad | | | | credit repair process without investing something like |
| credit record!Credit History Repair - First Move Close | | | | 600 hours of your personal time, and it may take you |
| All Accounts.Time is of the essence. As soon as you | | | | years in order to obtain an honest and true credit |
| suspect, or know, that you've become a victim of | | | | history repair. You'll be contacting major credit bureaus |
| identity theft, you must contact 100% of your creditors | | | | like Equifax, Experian or TransUnion which maintain |
| and advise them to suspend credit and not authorize | | | | credit records on over 90% of Americans.Needing |
| any purchases to your account. Who do you call? | | | | Professional Assistance.You'll likely need a lawyer and |
| Department stores, banks, petrol, travel, finance | | | | an accountant, and you'll pay them professional fees |
| institutions...any firm that issues credit cards to | | | | to help you sort out your credit repair. Also, you need |
| you."Victims" Trigger The Credit Repair | | | | the investigative fire power necessary to canvas the |
| Process.Remember, the credit card firms don't know | | | | entire credit market in order to identify whether other |
| and don't care about your identity theft problem until it | | | | fraudulent credit cards have been issued, using your |
| rolls up to their front door.Over 85% of commercial | | | | bank accounts, passwords, mother's maiden name, |
| identity theft is reported by victims rather than the | | | | credit card numbers, address, birth date, or any other |
| credit card issuing firms. Most often victims are | | | | personal information. Remarkably, nearly 20% of |
| unsuspecting. Suddenly huge bills come in, reflecting | | | | "reported identity theft" cases turn out to be situations |
| unknown purchases, or you make a run-of-the-mill | | | | where a family member who has access and detailed |
| credit application and you're turned down inexplicably. | | | | knowledge turns bad and rips-off the identity of |
| Only now does "the penny drop" and you realize that | | | | another family member.What You May Pay In |
| personal data has been stolen and some bad guy is | | | | "Losses".In many states identity theft victims are limited |
| out there impersonating you while racking up | | | | to the first $50.00 of transaction losses, leaving the |
| thousands of dollar of fraudulent expenses.Credit | | | | industry's remaining $50 billion "fraud tab" to be paid for |
| Repair - Second Move "Credit Freeze".In 20 States | | | | by businesses.Credit history repair is critical following |
| you can order a "credit freeze" which will lock-down | | | | identity theft. Learn what to do, how to contact the |
| both the credit bureaus as well as any credit-issuing | | | | major credit bureaus, and the practical avoidance |
| firm from doing anything unless and until they receive | | | | strategies for not becoming a victim of credit card |
| your permission. In other words, no new credit cards | | | | fraud or identity theft.Identity Theft Prevention Tips: |
| can be issued by anyone until you authorize it.Who | | | | Report Repair After Identity Theft: Robin Derry is |
| Opposes Credit Freeze Consumer Anti Fraud | | | | publisher for a specialty information site that gives |
| Defenses?Remarkably, the credit bureaus, financial | | | | solutions to health, household, sport, travel and legal |
| institutions, the identity theft fraudsters and even the | | | | needs. |
| US Congress oppose the States' grant of identity theft | | | | |